Tablets fuel porn industry

The growth in the tablet user base will cause the number of users of mobile pornography and other adult video content on tablets to triple by 2015, a new report shows.

Juniper Research finds that this trend is repeated across all forms of mobile adult content on tablets, with the number mobile adult subscribers and mobile adult video chat users also tripling by 2015.

While the numbers of users accessing mobile adult content on tablets will grow rapidly, the fact that a significant proportion of tablets are shared devices will restrict growth.

The move towards 'multiscreen' experiences also means that consumers may be reluctant to purchase content solely for the tablet. In some regions, legislation and social attitudes towards adult content will also restrain the growth of the mobile adult industry.

Despite the many restrictions to growth, the adult industry is forecast to generate significant revenues from tablet devices. Tablet owners are generally more affluent than the average user, and are more likely than smartphone users to own a credit card, even in emerging markets. This means that tablet users are likely to spend more, and more often on mobile adult content than the average smartphone user.

According to report author Charlotte Miller: 'Tablets combine the privacy of a smartphone with a large screen, particularly suited for content consumption. It is clear that, as with many other types of content, users of mobile adult content will want to access content on their tablets as well as on smartphones and PCs.'

The report also found that revenues generated on tablets by porn will increase by more than five times by 2017. Also, average annual spend on mobile adult subscriptions for handsets will increase by 11% by 2015.

About Smart Chimps

Smart Chimps is the creation of freelance editor, writer and media trainer, Heather McLean. Heather has been involved in telecoms journalism since 2001, specialising in mobile since 2002. Find out more